A Matter of Duty
by cxe128
Summary: After the war, Downton Abbey is in danger of financial ruin. Robert comes up with a seemingly perfect plan: Sybil will marry Larry Grey to save the estate. But there is one problem: Sybil does not love Larry — instead she is in love with Tom Branson, the socialist chauffeur. AU. Tom/Sybil.
1. 1: The Proposition

A Matter of Duty Chapter 1: The Proposition

**A/N: Hello! This is my first Downton Abbey story as I just began watching the show this year. I was so saddened by Sybil's death and I have always loved her and Tom together so I decided to write this story. The Sybil and Branson storylines for season 2 episodes 7-8 and the Christmas special never occurred for the purposes of this story, but the storylines that don't concern them have. Let me know what you think!**

—

"What? Have you all gone insane?" Sybil Crawley, usually composed and ladylike, hollered at her family.

Robert had just informed his youngest - and, although he wouldn't admit it, his favorite - daughter that she was going to marry Larry Grey, the son of a wealthy baron. He had just broken the news to his entire family that due to his dubious pre-war investments in a Canadian railroad company, they were in danger of going bankrupt. Cora's fortune, the crutch that the family had leaned on in order to support the estate, was almost completely decimated. That would mean the Crawleys would have to leave Downton Abbey - they would have to give up their home, their work, and their entire luxurious lifestyle.

And Robert was not about to let that happen. He had given too much of himself to Downton — he could not bear to fail. He was the one who had stupidly gotten them into this situation, so he would be the one to solve it. The only viable solution that Robert and a devastated Cora had brainstormed was that one of their three daughters would be the one to selflessly be the savior of the estate through her marriage to a wealthy gentleman. And so they settled on the beautiful and vivacious Sybil.

To Robert the plan was perfection.

But to Sybil it was far from that.

"I refuse to marry a man I completely and utterly loathe!" she cried, and flung herself at her mother. "Mama, please say that you didn't agree to this!"

"Sybil, do try to calm yourself," Cora drawled, calmly patting her youngest daughter's hand. "Your father and I have reasons for this, I promise you."

"So you did know!" Sybil exclaimed. She felt betrayed by her own family, the people who were supposed to always stick up for her. How could they subject her to this? If only they knew that she did not in fact have feelings for Larry — instead she was in love with a man that she could never hope to be with.

She was in love with Tom Branson. The bold Irish chauffeur, a man her father employed. And her best friend in the world, a man who understood her better than anyone — even her older sister Mary.

Being with Tom was a naïve teenager's fantasy, something she would achieve only if her life was a romance. In all likelihood, she expected to be married off to one wealthy noble or another.

But Sybil hadn't expected to be forced to marry the prick Larry Grey. He had always been so cocky and prejudiced and had an obsession with her that bordered on unhealthy. And he didn't even know the true version of her, the rebellious suffragette that Tom knew and loved.

It was so unfair that she would have to sacrifice her own happiness for the good of the Crawley name. Sybil voiced this thought. "Why couldn't Edith or Mary do this?"

"Darling, don't be ridiculous," Mary scoffed. "I'm engaged to Matthew — I could not exactly wed another man." "Besides, although Matthew is the heir to Downton, he is still a middle-class solicitor. He does not have any substantial amount of money that could save Downton," Robert put in.

"That's all fair, but what about Edith?" Sybil questioned. She hated to admit it, but she was starting to see the rationality in her parent's decision.

"Edith simply has no prospects," Mary stated bluntly. Edith immediately reddened and Cora sighed. But she knew in her heart that Edith was virtually a frumpy old maid and was used to Mary's cutting barbs about it.

"Besides, I have Sir Antony Strallan," Edith interjected. "Ha, that old codger?" Mary smirked, raising her perfect dark eyebrows. "You'll be lucky if he doesn't drop dead before he proposes to you!" Edith glared at her older sister again.

"And Larry has often confided his desire to marry you to your father", Cora added. Sybil sat up straight, shocked and disgusted by this news. "And you never told me this?" "I assumed that he had told you and that you rejected him, so I didn't push the matter," Robert defended his decision. "But now that we are desperate…"

Sybil sighed. "I suppose I see your line of reasoning, Papa, but that doesn't mean I am going to do as you say. Marrying for money rather than love does not align with my principles."

"Marrying for love only happens in salacious romance plays written by Shakespeare," Violet commented wryly. "And then the two lovers die by committing suicide."

Robert looked outraged as he stood up and clenched his glass of Scotch tightly. "I remind you, daughter, that I married your mother for her money to save the estate. Duty will _always_ come before personal matters of the heart. It is just our way of life — Granny married your grandfather at a point when he was a stranger to her. We sacrificed marriage for love so that you and your sisters could have the life that you do." "And we couldn't be happier," Cora said, looking lovingly up at her husband.

Maybe that was true, but Sybil's parents and her grandmother were all good people. They were nothing like Larry was. Sybil shuddered at the thought of marrying him and felt a sudden feeling of dread creep into her stomach.

_If she was Mrs. Larry Grey, she would never be free to be the woman that she was. _

And then there was Tom. She knew that he loved her (as he had boldly told her many times) but she had never confessed that she loved him. She had been too scared to tell him, afraid to act on her feelings In case it led to trouble or scandal for her. But now it was too late — he would never know and the chances of her being with him were even slimmer than they had been a few days ago.

But at the same time, she felt compelled to do her part to save the home and the family that she loved.

"What do you think?," Robert asked, fully expecting his daughter to profusely refuse his proposition.

"I think I'm going to go for a walk," Sybil replied crisply and turned to leave.

She had a certain Irish chauffeur that she wanted to talk to.

**A/N: Next chapter: Sybil speaks with Tom. I hope you enjoyed this story, as it is my first Downton Abbey fic.**


	2. 2: The Lady and the Chauffeur

**A/N: Thank you all for the positive feedback for chapter 1! I appreciated it all so much. Here is chapter 2, which I also hope that you enjoy as much as the first chapter :).**

**Chapter 2: The Lady and the Chauffeur**

Sybil entered the chauffeur's garage hesitantly, unsure of what she was going to say to Tom. She wasn't sure whether to approach him as a friend…or as something more.

The sight she saw when she leaned in the doorway was far different from the sight she expected to see.

Tom was standing there polishing the Renault with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his toned forearms. He was singing an Irish ballad and he had the most beautiful, clear voice that Sybil had ever heard.

_"__In Dublin's fair city_

_Where the girls are so pretty_

_I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone_

_As she wheeled her wheelbarrow_

_Through the streets broad and narrow_

_Crying 'cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh'"_

Sybil blushed at the sight and her imagination trailed off for a minute. This could be her life if she was Mrs. Branson, coming home from nursing to the sight of her handsome husband working on cars and singing to her. _This could be her life if she had taken a real risk for once in her life rather than just talking about it. _

She took a deep breath and entered the garage. "Good evening, Branson." Startled, Tom stood up straight as protocol dictated at the appearance of his superior. God, Sybil hated the formalities that separated them. "Milady. How can I help you?" he greeted her.

"I just found out some news and I thought that I should share it with you — as a friend would," Sybil said uncertainly. Tom looked at her and stopped polishing the car. "It seems that Mama and Papa expect me to marry a noble that they have found."

"What?" Tom looked furious, his blue eyes boring into the blue of Sybil's own eyes. "I don't suppose you said yes?" Sybil noted the tone of desperate hope in his voice and again wistfully thought of what could have been with him. "Well, it's all quite complicated." She let out a breath. "Because the estate is in danger of financial ruin, and Mama and Papa were hoping I could save it through marriage."

"And who did they 'select' for you to throw away your life with?" Tom mocked, clearly hurt by what Sybil was telling him. "Larry Grey, the son of Mary's wealthy godfather, Lord Merton. Except he's a despicable, prejudiced bully and _I don't want to marry him_."

"But let me guess, you are still going to marry a man that you despise and give up your own freedom - your own beliefs - just to save a dying institution run by a pair of foolish poshes?" Tom said angrily. "Don't you dare talk about my family that way, Branson!" Sybil protested indignantly, her tone reminding Tom that he was the chauffeur and she gave the orders. "My parents are wonderful people!"

"Anyway, Mama and Papa had an arranged marriage and now they love each other. This is just our way." "You sound just as if you've taken the words from their mouths. Your kind really is better at hiding their feelings than us," Tom fired back at her, well aware that he was pushing the boundaries of the servant-master relationship. "But you don't understand! I _must _do what is best for everyone, Branson! I can't just selfishly refuse their proposition just so that I can have the life I have always dreamed of while they sit around at the county poorhouse!" Sybil protested.

"God, Sybil - that is, milady - I always expected you to be better than this," Tom said in a low voice, disappointed. "I've told you and told you how I feel about you and you come breaking my heart." Sybil noticed a single tear fall down Tom's cheeks and she felt horrible for treating him this way. "You really don't know me, do you?" Sybil said, shocked. "The real reason I've been opposed to this dreadful arranged marriage is because _I am in love with you, Tom Branson_!"

She turned to leave, ashamed of herself for baring her feelings to Tom. What if one of the other servants found out? Or Tom no longer felt the same way? But then she felt the pressure of a warm set of fingers on her waist, stopping her from leaving. Sybil turned towards Tom. Their faces were so close together, almost touching.

And then Tom closed the distance between them and kissed her full on the lips.

Sybil had always wondered how it would feel like to be kissed by a man. But this kiss completely defied all of her expectations — kissing Tom was passion and innocence at the same time, a blend of youth and growing up, a mix of longing and satisfaction. She instinctively ran her fingers through his sandy-blond hair as he deepened the kiss.

Sybil had never quite felt like she belonged anywhere in her entire life, but now she did. And she was surer than ever that she belonged with Tom Branson.

"Oh my darling," Tom said when they finally broke apart. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" "You're right, we are good at hiding our feelings," Sybil chuckled. "But I always could tell that you loved me," Tom murmured. "I was just waiting for you to say the words."

"I was too scared of what loving you might mean, Tom," Sybil admitted. They had so easily slipped into the rhythm of calling each other by their first names. "I wasn't ready yet to admit it, I wasn't ready to leave my family."

"But now it's too late for you to leave them," Tom realized. "I know this is such a mess," she sighed sadly and began to cry a little. She was exhausted from the day and weary from the expectations put upon her by society and by her parents.

"I didn't mean to make you cry, my darling," Tom said as he enfolded Sybil in his strong arms. "It's not you - it's everyone else," Sybil cried. "I can't always please everyone, but now I have to."

"Sybil, what is going to happen to _us _if you marry this Larry Grey?" "I'm not quite sure," Sybil admitted sadly. "But I don't want to ever give you up, Tom Branson." And with that she kissed him again, just as passionately as she had the first time.

But when they broke apart Sybil noticed something.

It was Mary. She was standing outside the garage and looking in at the sight of her youngest sister and the chauffeur embracing. And Sybil wondered with growing dread how long Mary had been standing there.

**A/N: Next chapter: Mary speaks with Sybil about what she saw in the garage. I hope you liked this chapter! Let me know with a review!**


	3. 3: A Chat With Mary

**Chapter 3: A Chat with Mary**

Sybil and Tom quickly unraveled from their embrace at Mary's appearance. "Mama sent me to fetch you, Sybil," Mary said calmly and tonelessly, although her face had a look of surprise and disgust on it at the sight of her sister and the chauffeur. "Matthew and Cousin Isobel arrived for dinner and she wondered where you'd gone."

"Of course. I was just….talking to Branson about taking the motor to Ripon on Wednesday to order a dress for dinner with Larry Grey." Sybil could tell from the look on Mary's face that her sister didn't buy her feeble excuse. "Yes, it is really wonderful that you will soon be a_ gentleman's _bride."

Sybil closed her eyes in exasperation at Mary's callous remark. Nearly everything Mary said had a surplus implication attached to it, and in this case, Mary was pointing out how unsuitable Tom was for Sybil. _A gentleman's bride. _Although Sybil loved her oldest sister, she sometimes felt a strong urge to slap her for being so cold.

"Do return to your work now, Branson," Mary said quite pointedly. "Goodnight, Tom — I mean Branson." "Lady Sybil," Tom nodded at her longingly. The barriers between the two lovers were once again up.

The two Crawley sisters walked toward the house in silence for a time, each unsure how to approach the other. Mary was the first to speak. "Darling, I think I must be blunt about what I witnessed back in the chauffeur's garage." "How much did you see?" Sybil asked shakily, dreading Mary's answer.

"So you're not going to deny it?" Mary was taken aback. "You know I don't like deceit, Mary. Besides, I haven't done anything wrong!"

"Sybil, you were kissing the chauffeur!" "As I've told you before, Mary, Tom is a person too, and quite a wonderful one at that! He has a name!" Sybil was exasperated with Mary's elitist mindset. "Never mind that. To you, he should be Branson - not Tom! Granny was right about the war breaking down barriers inappropriately," Mary declared. "I should have told Papa when I first found out about the two of you, and I am certainly going to tell him now."

"Mary! Tom will lose his job if you do that!" Sybil protested. "A chauffeur is highly replaceable. You, my darling sister, are not," Mary quickly countered. "I am only concerned about your well-being — and Downton's well-being — here. Besides, the only reason I didn't tell Papa is because you promised me that you wouldn't do anything stupid. But now you've gone and kissed the chauffeur when you are about to be engaged to Larry Grey!"

"Well, you kissed Cousin Matthew when you were engaged to that vile Sir Richard and when he was engaged to a woman dying of the Spanish flu! Plus, that Turkish diplomat died in your bed! Really, Mary, you aren't any better than me!" Sybil challenged, and she knew that she had played her trump card when Mary's face paled dramatically. "How did you know about those?" Mary asked, horrified. "I heard you and Cousin Matthew talking about the kiss and Edith told me about you and Mr. Pamuk," Sybil responded.

"Of course Edith told you, the snake that she is," Mary muttered. "Mary, you have been in my situation before. You were engaged to a man you completely and utterly loathed — all to save the name of the Crawley family. _Of course _you had your little dalliance with Cousin Matthew on the side. I've seen how happy the two of you are together. And now everything has worked out for you. Please try to understand where I'm coming from," Sybil pleaded desperately. Mary had to understand the connection that Sybil had with Tom and the dreadful position she was in.

Mary suddenly softened a little. "Sybil…trust me, I _do _understand your position better than anyone." Sybil relaxed, happy to see the less ferocious side of her older sister for once. "I won't tell Papa…as long as you promise to go through with his plan for you to marry Larry Grey. Matthew and I _need _the estate to thrive, not to mention the rest of the family does too. This concerns everyone's futures - including your own - here. Besides, I don't want to have my wedding in the register's office rather than at Downton," Mary finished, waiting anxiously for Sybil's response.

Sybil sighed. "All right, Mary. I will marry Larry if he asks me to do so — but I can't guarantee that I will give up Tom for good." Mary relaxed visibly, no longer uncertain about her own future. "No, of course you won't. And I won't be a hypocrite and tell you not to. But it must be kept quiet — and be careful to ensure that Larry never finds out about you two, or I would fear for Tom's life."

Sybil chuckled and flung herself into a surprised Mary's arms. "Oh thank you, Mary, thank you." Mary awkwardly hugged Sybil back. "Darling, I will always stand by you. You are the only sister in this family that I actually like, so the two of us must stick together." Sybil laughed again, appreciative of Mary's support. "Now I suppose we should go to dinner before Granny has a conniption fit about Mrs. Patmore's duck getting cold."

**A/N: I know, another chapter so quickly! I do hope you enjoy this chapter - please review or follow/favorite! I would love to have more of each. If you like this story, please spread the word about it to fellow Tom/Sybil writers and fans!**

**Thanks! -cxe128**


	4. Resigned to Her Fate

**Chapter 4**

A week had passed since Sybil had been informed of her parents' plan for her to marry up to save the estate. A week since her romantic rendezvous with Tom in the garage. A week since she'd pleaded with Mary to hide her secret. And a week since she'd agreed - against her better judgment - to save Downton by marrying a man she couldn't stand.

Robert and Cora had been relieved - and surprised - when Sybil had given in. Cora had immediately addressed dinner invitations to the Greys, instantly throwing the servants into a fever of preparation for a dinner designed to both impress the wealthy Greys and to disguise the fact that Downton was growing bankrupt.

Cora, after a thorough examination of Sybil's wardrobe, had ruled that she needed a new dinner gown. The last time Sybil had gotten a new dress had been before the war when she had thought that being fitted for a new dress was the most enchanting thing in the world. Now she wasn't so foolishly naive and knew better.

"But Mama, how can we possibly afford a new dress if Papa is going to be broke soon?" Sybil questioned in the car on the way to Ripon, finding the whole idea flawed.

"We'll find a way," Cora said grimly, looking out the window to avoid looking at her youngest daughter. She didn't want her to notice the worry on her face.

Sybil risked a glance up at the car's rearview mirror. She noticed Tom's downcast expression and gave him a small smile of reassurance. She didn't know what she was reassuring him of, exactly — she knew she had to marry Larry no matter what, or Mary would tell Robert about her relationship with Tom. But her smile seemed to cause him to perk up a little, and he looked up and flashed a hint of a smile back at her.

—

"I can't do this," Sybil moaned to herself as Anna styled her hair into a complicated bun.

Anna looked up from her work. "I believe in you, my lady," she told Sybil.

"I'm so sorry, Anna! I didn't mean to say that out loud!" Sybil confessed, embarrassed. "How is Mr. Bates doing?" she asked, trying to change the subject. The Crawley's former valet and Anna's husband had been unfairly convicted of the murder of his ex-wife and sent to prison for life.

"He's…doing as well as he could be, under the circumstances," Anna responded.

"That's good," Sybil said. "Just let me know if I can do anything to help you," she offered. Anna had always been more of a friend than a servant to her and she wanted to do anything she could to help her through this difficult time.

"You're too kind, milady! I'll miss you when you get married," Anna replied, touched by Sybil's offer. She smiled at her boss and placed the final pin into her hair.

Mary, Edith, and Cora entered, clad in their elaborately beautiful evening gowns. "Show us your dress, darling," Cora ordered softly.

Sybil stood up and turned around, displaying the ankle-length sleeveless lavender gown with the black floral designs that she had selected. "You look absolutely beautiful, Sybil!", Edith praised. "That dress is so modern and pretty, just like you."

"Unlike _that_ waste of fabric," Mary muttered under her breath, casting a disdainful glance at Edith's more traditional floor-length ivory-colored dress.

"Darling, I just wanted to prepare you for how we're going to approach the Greys," Cora informed Sybil, and it took all Sybil could muster to suppress a groan.

"Yes?" she asked politely instead.

"We know Larry is attracted to you - "

" - I wish he wasn't!" Sybil put in.

Cora continued as if there had been no interruption from her daughter. " - so we will have you sit next to him at dinner and then spend some quality time alone with him before dinner. Flirt a little, chat with him — keep him intrigued and smitten. And then your father will speak with him after dinner, where he will hopefully ask for your hand. And if he does, your father will broker a deal with him that benefits both sides."

"So I am like the cattle to be bartered and traded," Sybil scoffed indignantly, internally seething with anger.

Cora sighed. "Darling, please -"

Edith grasped her mother's arm and gently steered her out of Sybil's room. "Come, Mama. They'll be expecting us soon."

Mary lingered in Sybil's room for a few moments longer. "Oh Sybil, good luck!" she cried, clasping Sybil's cold, nervous hands in her own.

"Thanks, Mary," Sybil said. "I just sometimes wonder if you want this to go well for your own sake that way you and Matthew can have the life _you've _always dreamed of while I'm trapped in a loveless marriage to a brute." Part of her regretted so readily accepted Mary's offer to keep her romance with Tom hidden as long as she went through with the plan.

Mary raised her brows, visibly taken aback. "I mean…you're correct," she admitted. "I just feel guiltier about the whole affair now that I know about you and Branson. Not because of you being in love with Branson - since he _is _the chauffeur - but because of the fact that you're in love with someone. By the way, have you seen him lately?"

"Just when he drove Mama and me to Ripon. Why?" Mary had never taken an interest in Sybil's "improper" relationship with the chauffeur, and Sybil was suspicious that she would suddenly ask about it now.

"No reason," Mary said dismissively. "I just wanted to make sure that you have some happiness in the weeks to come. If Larry does propose, then your days with Branson are numbered. I'd take advantage of them," she finished mysteriously, and sauntered out of the bedroom, leaving Sybil even more confused than ever. Why couldn't Mary ever just say what she meant?

—

Sybil entered the drawing room tentatively, hesitating when she saw the Greys were already there. Robert was the first to notice her and instantly grasped her arm to guide her across the room.

"Ah, Sybil. You remember Lord Merton and his sons?" he asked, knowing full well that she did. Since Lord Merton was Mary's godfather, the Greys had been present at many family gatherings in the years before the Great War, from holiday parties to funerals. Sybil's memories of Larry were not exactly pleasant, though — there was that seaside holiday when he'd played a prank where he had snuck behind her and stripped her, ultimately tossing her into the frigid waters of the English Channel. Although it was nearly ten years ago, her cheeks still flushed with embarrassment when she recalled how vulnerable she had felt when the teenaged Larry had ogled her then newly developing figure. Her mother had been furious at Larry, demanding that he make it up to Sybil. And he had. He'd showed up at her hotel room with a bouquet of exquisite purple hyacinths later. Little had the masculine Larry known that purple hyacinths were said to be the harbingers of sorrow and sadness. Now, Sybil marveled at the irony of that seemingly insignificant flower choice — he was bringing sorrow into her life now, however unknowingly.

Larry, his father, and his brother Tim all turned to glance over at her. Sybil glanced back, curious to observe the changes that had occurred since she'd seen them last. With his dark brown hair and clear blue eyes, Larry was rakishly good-looking, a fact he knew all too well. He was tall and lanky, unlike Tom, who was broader and more muscular. _Tom. _Sybil had to stop thinking of him and instead accomplish what her family expected her to do. But she could not help the thoughts of him that sprang unbidden into her head with every moment that passed. So this was what being in love felt like — constant, unconscious musings about her lover. Ever since she first began reading romance novels, she had always wondered what it would be like.

"How are you, Lady Sybil?" Lord Merton inquired courteously, effectively interrupting Sybil's dreamy-eyed reverie. Lord Merton was a tall, sprightly gray-haired nobleman with a kind face that neither of his sons shared. _He would be a good father-in-law to me, if worst comes to worst, _Sybil thought. "I am well, Lord Merton. And you?" she responded politely.

"Lady Sybil. How lovely to see you again," Larry greeted her. Sybil noticed that he was looking her up and down in the same manner he had at the seashore that day, which unsettled her. One thing she loved about Tom was that he didn't care a bit about her title or money and her looks were secondary to her mind in his eyes. From what she knew of Larry, he was not like that. Sybil opened her mouth to say something about that, but remembered her duty and stopped herself.

"It is absolutely _wonderful_ to see you again too." Sybil lowered her eyes in what her mother had told her was a demurely flirtatious way that befit how the daughter of an earl was supposed to act. Larry seemed to be receptive to her flirtations, and the pair continued to engage in polite small talk. Larry talked about his estate and hunting and Sybil listened, occasionally acting impressed or nodding.

"Shall we go through?" Cora finally asked, and Sybil had never been so thankful before in her life to hear her mother say that.

—

Dinner was as usual, what with the men doing most of the talking and Violet occasionally making a witty comment about something they said. Sybil was seated next to Larry, whom she caught gazing at her several times throughout the meal.

At one point, Robert mentioned how the Irish republican mayor of Cork had recently been brutally shot dead in front of his wife. "I heard our prime minister ordered it," he commented.

"Then I think the prime minister should be charged with murder," Matthew put in. "It's only just."

Larry glanced disdainfully at Matthew. "No, the Irish have it coming. They're all hotheaded drunkards who'd rather protest about nothing rather than actually run a government."

Sybil flushed angrily at this, appalled at Larry's biased stereotyping of an entire country. How dare he — he probably didn't even know any Irishmen, yet he had crafted an unfair mental first impression of them anyway. Tom was the most passionate, hardworking man she knew, and yet Larry had assumed a man like him would care more for the bottle than the writings of Mill.

"No -" she started to retort, but then she noticed the pointed look that Mary threw her from across the table, a look that told her to be quiet and sip her wine instead. How could she waste the remainder of her youth like this, always stopping short of saying what she actually wanted to say? Oh, but Sybil knew she must — she, too, had read Tom's books on utilitarianism, the philosophy of the greater good. She would choose the happiness of the many people that depended on Downton over her own happiness.

Isobel seemed to read part of what was on Sybil's mind and bravely disagreed with Larry. "Cousin Robert and Cousin Cora's chauffeur, Branson, is from Ireland. _He _is incredibly intelligent and diligent. Many of the people looking to change things there are probably like him, and I think we need to remember that before we judge them too hastily."

Sybil stifled a snicker, satisfied that Larry was put in his place by the fierce older nurse. Judging by the fuming look on his face, he was not quite so happy about being corrected by the mother of a middle-class solicitor.

—

"Larry, would you mind coming here for a moment? I would like to discuss something with you."

The baron's son made his excuses to a relieved Sybil, who he had been conversing with ever since dinner had ended, and followed Robert into the library. "What did you want to talk about, Lord Grantham?", he asked.

"I understand you have taken quite a fancy to my youngest," Robert began, getting to the point as soon as he could in order to minimize the length of the conversation.

Larry's eyes lit up at the mention of Sybil. "Lady Sybil is everything I could ever want in a wife. She is beautiful, well-bred, and demure. She would be a perfect baroness."

Robert felt that twinge of unsettlement in his stomach that had been nagging him since he'd first informed Sybil of their plan at Larry's depiction of his daughter. True, she was certainly beautiful and well-bred and could be demure when she wanted to be, but there was so much _more _to her than that. If Larry did not realize that she was an opinionated modern woman, a passionate crusader for women's suffrage….then maybe this wasn't right. Robert shook his hesitation away — he had to think of Downton. Sybil had a duty toward it, the same duty he had when he had been pressured into marrying an American heiress he'd barely known. And she would fulfill that duty, s hundreds of Crawleys before her had.

"Wonderful. You have my blessing to marry her then, if you would like," Robert told Larry, inwardly apologizing to Sybil for the fate he had just resigned her to.

Larry smiled, looking not unlike a child who had just been gifted with the shiny toy he had wanted for Christmas. "Thank you, Lord Grantham! You cannot possibly understand how happy you have made me. I shall propose to her tonight." He turned to leave, probably to go find Sybil, but Robert stopped him.

"Wait, Larry."

Larry halted. "Yes, sir?"

"I suppose I should tell you that financial burden has befallen Downton after the war," Robert admitted, nervous to see what Larry's reaction would be.

Larry looked genuinely surprised and a bit disappointed. "I would still like to marry Sybil nonetheless," he declared.

Robert sighed in relief — maybe Downton would be safe, after all. And Larry certainly seemed dedicated to Sybil. After all, the seaside incident had been years ago, and Larry seemed to have significantly changed since then.

"I have my ample inheritance, a part of which I can bequeath to Downton to pull you and your family out of debt. That would make sure you and your family would live comfortable lives for a very long time. Now it makes sense why you are suddenly so keen on me marrying Sybil. I had always thought you didn't especially care for me, Lord Grantham. But now you are desperate for my help and Sybil is to be my reward for that help," Larry laughed derisively. His demeanor had gone from the relaxed one of a man in love to the alert one of a man who was suspicious that he was being tricked into something.

"You have changed a lot, Larry. I know you would make Sybil happy," Robert tried to reassure Larry. He said that because it was what he needed to convince not only Larry but himself of the Sybil-Larry union.

Larry's harsh posture softened considerably. "That means a lot to me, Lord Grantham. I like to think she will be quite comfortable as my wife. I have been smitten with her since we were children, you know."

Robert nodded and smiled at the man who would soon become his son-in-law, the man who would be the savior who would resurrect Downton from its current depths of ruin. "Go propose to my daughter, Larry." Larry shook his hand and left.

—

"Sybil…"

Sybil jolted awake at the sound of her name. It was very late and she had been waiting alone in the drawing room for quite a time while her father and Larry conversed in the library. For one fleeting moment when she was between waking and dreaming, she had imagined that Tom was the one calling her name. In the dark, the man reaching out to her could have been him.

But it was only Larry.

Sybil cast aside her disappointment and smiled at Larry. "Sorry, I just fell asleep. I usually don't stay up this late," she joked lightly.

Larry chuckled. "Sybil, I wanted to ask you something."

Sybil's heart sank as she realized what he would ask her. She mentally prepared herself for it, willing herself to accept.

"Lady Sybil Crawley, I've loved you since I first met you when we were children so long ago. At first, I dismissed that love as a childhood crush and I expected it to vanish with time. But it never did. It only grew stronger as we grew older and you grew from a gawkish little girl to a beautiful woman. So now, I ask you to make me the happiest man in the world. Will you marry me?"

Larry had gotten onto his knees and clasped her hands in his own. Sybil stiffened at the feeling of his cold hands on her own. She looked at his handsome yet hardened face that was so eagerly awaiting her answer. Her heart was screaming so loudly for her to stand up for what she wanted — _Tom _— and reject his romantic proposal, but her mind was more practical and told her she had to say yes.

But in her position, a matter of duty would always triumph over a matter of the heart.

"Yes, Larry," she answered, trying her best to appear enthusiastic, like a girl in love.

But when Larry kissed her full on the lips, even she couldn't help but pretend that Tom was her new fiancé kissing her.

**A/N: I nearly abandoned this story, but finally got the inspiration for it! I finished the last season of Downton as well as the movie about a month ago. I will probably update Downton University soon too! I hope everyone is keeping healthy! :) Feel free to let me know what you thought of this story...I apologize for the lack of Tom in this chapter, but I felt like it had to be Sybil-centric due to the plot of it.**

**-cxe128**


	5. 5:What Might Have Been Or Still Could Be

**Chapter 5**

Sybil slept fitfully that night. Her restless sleep was punctuated by dreams where Larry's face kept appearing. In one such nightmare, she was back at the seaside as a teenager and Larry stripped her again. Except this time, he didn't just ogle her body — he aggressively groped her as she begged for him to stop, for someone to help her. But he didn't stop, and her parents never came to help her this time.

Although Sybil had never been terribly superstitious, she had to wonder at the significance of these horrible dreams. This was her second time dreaming of an intimate encounter with a man — except this time, he practically violated her rather than gently caressing her the way the man in her first dream had. But Larry was too well-born, too much of a gentleman to do that, she told herself. This thought was a thin, scant comfort to her, one that she needed to tell herself if she was ever to be strong enough to become Larry's bride.

Sybil realized attempting to go back to sleep would be fruitless — her thoughts were racing too quickly. She quickly dressed herself in a simple patterned blouse and high-waisted skirt — it was pointless to wake Anna so early when she knew perfectly well how to dress on her own—, left her wavy hair loose, and quietly slipped out of the manor to go for a walk.

She only had one destination in mind. She knew Tom was often in the habit of tinkering with the cars early in the morning to make sure they were ready for the Crawleys' use. It would be so hard to tell him the news she had that any other woman would have been delighted to proclaim. She had told herself so many times over the course of the long night that most of the girls she knew would be utterly over the moon at the prospect of becoming the future Baroness Merton, so she should consider herself lucky to be marrying a man who could fill her life with comfort and security. Although she knew that was about all he could fill it with…

Sybil entered the garage, and Tom's handsome face broke into a broad smile at her appearance. "I was hoping to see you!" he exclaimed, and her heart lifted in happiness.

"Don't be ridiculous, Tom! It's only been a week since we last talked!", Sybil teased giddily. _The longest week ever, _she added in her head.

Tom laid down his polishing cloth and practically skipped over to her, to Sybil's fond amusement. He lovingly took her face in his hands and tugged her lips up to meet his. She began to kiss him back and for once she nearly forgot about Larry. _Her fiancé, _she realized with a sudden jolt of guilt, and managed to extricate her lips from Tom's.

"Tom…" she began sadly.

"Yes, my darlin'?" Sybil noticed that he seemed a bit taken aback by her sudden change of mood. She wordlessly took his hand, the warmth of their linked fingers providing her with a tender, silent courage.

"Larry proposed to me last night," she confessed. She covered her mouth, hopelessly wishing she didn't have to tell Tom that. She was young, she was in love…the fairytale love she had dreamed of as a girl after reading stories like _Cinderella _did not go like this.

"Oh, Sybil…I assume you said yes?" Tom guessed correctly, his worried expression turning into a full-fledged frown. He knew her too well.

Sybil's throat burned with unshed, barely-bottled-up tears. She could only nod her confirmation.

Tom ushered her into his arms and rubbed his hands back and forth down her shoulders. The affectionate, constant gesture comforted her and reminded her of her father when he would bring her in from the cold.

"I'm so sorry," Sybil whispered, her words muffled by Tom's uniform.

Tom adjusted them so that she could face him and planted his hands firmly on her quivering shoulders. "It's your parents who should be sorry. Or maybe Lord Merton for raising such a cad. Goddammit, maybe it's our flawed society's fault for creating such social divisions or for having a woman's only viable path be marriage. But it's not you - never you. You did what you think will help the most people, and that isn't wrong."

"You're right," Sybil agreed, squeezing his hand thankfully. "But still - although it will help them, _I know _it's not what is best for me. _I know _that by accepting Larry's proposal, I am subjecting myself to a life of misery and dissatisfaction and misogyny. And I think it's just…difficult for me to live with the knowledge that I am, in some way, sinking myself into this mess."

"Darlin', you don't have to be miserable…" Tom reassured her suggestively, tracing lines across her hand with the pads of his warm fingers.

Sybil roughly snatched her hand away and looked at him with disgust. "Don't be ridiculous, Tom! Imagine if Larry found out - I'd be branded an adulteress and my life would be ruined even more! Besides, on the off-chance he never discovered us, I would feel so guilty and dishonest having an affair as a married woman."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have implied that," Tom quickly apologized. "I mostly meant that you could have a confidante to rely on - me. Then you wouldn't be nearly as miserable as the future Baroness Merton."

Sybil nodded and began to pace the small garage as she talked frantically. "You know, Mary told me she didn't expect me to give you up completely if - _when_ \- I marry Larry. I know she said that to convince me to agree, but still…" she laughed wryly, reconsidering her previous statements.

She imagined meeting Tom in the garage on visits to Downton, making excuses to go on walks but instead winding up entwined with him in the backseat of the automobile. She daydreamed of rendezvous with him at modest London hotels when she happened to be in town for the season with her own daughters and when he had a day off. Oh God, the thought was enticing, more daring and more exhilarating than anything she had done in her life to date.

But…

That wouldn't truly be her. She knew deep down she was not the kind of woman who could wake up in the morning knowing she was breaking the holy bonds of marriage, no matter how arranged and strained hers and Larry's would no doubt be. She couldn't abandon her future children and miss out on moments of their lives even for Tom.

"Never mind," Sybil mumbled, and Tom nodded, somewhat dismayed.

"So what will we do?" he asked her. She appreciated how he gently left the answer up to her, how he let her chart her own course of action. _Our marriage would have been a marriage of equality and happiness, no doubt,_ she thought sadly.

"First, I want one last kiss from you, Mr. Branson, to tuck away in my memory box one day," Sybil told him, attempting a lighthearted tone.

She crept up on her tiptoes and kissed Tom, sweet and slow. There was no hint of desperation in this kiss - only the air of first love and longing for what might have been. Tom played with the ends of her loose brown hair as Sybil drew him closer to her, for one final time.

Eventually, she pulled apart from him, but not before taking her time to savor the moment exactly as it was.

"And then?" Tom questioned, cocking a brow.

Sybil hesitated before speaking. As she had felt his lips on her own, something had occurred to her that should have occurred to her far sooner. Maybe that didn't have to be the final time she ever kissed him.

"And then we eat breakfast and begin our days. But then, we explore ways to save Downton and my family without me having to marry that anti-Catholic, anti-suffragist cad. And only if we absolutely can't, which is likely…I will marry him," Sybil said, pursing her lips resolutely in a thin line.

But she recognized a flicker of hope in Tom's eyes, And - for the first time in weeks - she felt it too.

**Yes, I'm back. My sports season finally wrapped up, so my Saturdays are free for the first time in forever. As one guest reviewer kindly pointed out, it's been six months since I said I'd update. :( **

**Next chapter, Sybil and Tom will work together to find a better solution to Downton's financial problems. It will feature lots of Matthew, too - he's probably my favorite character after the Bransons.**

**Until next time! Please review or PM me with any thoughts you have. That greatly helps the writing process along for me and you will get another chapter much sooner that way. :))**


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